GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A man is facing a bank robbery charge in connection with the Aug. 18 Independent Bank robbery and subsequent police chase.
Edward Ray Lucas is accused of robbing the Sand Lake bank at 5 3rd St. and then leading police on a chase that ended in a three-car crash in Plainfield Township.
According to a criminal complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court, Lucas is accused of passing a teller at the bank a note demanding money.
He allegedly received $5,550 from the teller and drove away in a silver Chevy Impala.
Roughly 20 minutes after the robbery, a deputy with the Kent County Sheriff’s Department spotted the vehicle attempting to enter southbound US-131, the criminal complaint says.
When the deputy attempted a traffic stop the vehicle drove away and entered the highway, starting a police chase that exceeded speeds of 95 mph, according to the complaint.
Lucas allegedly left US-131 at Post Drive and drove eastbound. Officials say he struck another vehicle, which then crashed into a third vehicle along Post Drive between Jupiter Avenue and US-131.
Lucas’ vehicle caught on fire after it stopped, according to officials. He was pulled from the car and hospitalized.
According to the criminal complaint, he suffered a broken leg, a neck injury and a severe chest contusion.
One person in one of the other vehicles was hospitalized with minor injuries.
Officials say the $5,500 and the note he passed the teller were both recovered from the scene of the crash.
